The Polls are now open for Early Voting!!

Election Time is upon us and you have THREE options for casting your Vote!!!

You now have the option to:
Vote early in person
Vote early by mail
Vote on Election Day at your polling location

To Vote Early in Person

Registered voters may Advance vote at the Sedgwick County Election Office, 510 N. Main Suite 101, between October 20th and 30th. (I went to the Election Office and Voted Yesterday afternoon... There was absolutely no line and I was able to get in and out of there in little more than five minutes)

Also, any registered voter wishing to cast an advance ballot may choose from ANY of the following Advance voting sites on October 26, 28 and 29 from 12:00 Noon to 7:00 PM, October 27 from 12:00 Noon to 5:00 PM and October 30 from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM.  ** Advance voters are not restricted to voting in their assigned polling place**

• Bel Aire City Building, 7651 E Central Park Ave
• Center for Health and Wellness, 2707 E. 21st St. N.
• Church of the Holy Spirit, 18218 W. Highway 54, Goddard
• First United Methodist Church, 560 N. Park, Valley Center
• Grace Presbyterian Church, 5002 E Douglas Ave
• Haysville Activity Center, 7106 S. Broadway, Haysville
• Independent Living Resource Center, 3033 W. 2nd St. N.
• Machinist Building, 3830 S Meridian
• Maranatha Worship Center, 888 S Webb Rd
• Reformation Lutheran Church Parish Hall, 7601 E 13th St N
• Sedgwick County Zoo Cargill Learning Center, 5555 Zoo Blvd
• Sharon Baptist Church, 2221 S Oliver
• St. Andrew's Lutheran Church, 2555 Hyacinth Lane
• Westlink Church of Christ, 10025 W Central Ave
• Woodlawn United Methodist Church, 431 S Woodlawn Blvd, Derby

Click here to download a list and map to Advance Voting Locations.

To Vote Early by Mail
If you would like to vote early by mail, download and complete this Mail-in Voting Application and mail or fax it to the Election Office. Advance Voting Applications are also available at the Elections Office and Sedgwick County Dillons stores. The voted ballot must be returned to the Election Office by 7 p.m. on Election Day.

To Vote At Your Polling Location On Election Day
Click here to find your assigned polling location, check your voter card, or call the Elections Office. Polling locations are open for voting on Election Day from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Both machine voting and paper ballot voting options are available.

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The Forgotten Four - forgotten no more...

In the year 2000, Wichita experienced two unspeakable horrors within a matter of days. Two quadruple homicides on opposite sides of town; both senseless, both equally tragic. But the first of these savage attacks, the murders of Jermaine Levy, Dessa Laquita Ford, Quincy Williams, and Raeshawndra Wheaton (all aged 17), passed quickly from the media spotlight. The latter case, which came to be known as the Wichita Massacre, garnered national media attention. The former seemed all but forgotten, victims of our desensitized acquiescence to violence...

Two of these children, Quincy Williams and Dessa Ford, spent 10 years in unmarked graves. The family struggled to try and raise the funds needed to purchase headstones but had repeatedly fallen short. A cousin of Quincy and Dessa, Ms. Candace Reed, worked tirelessly to ensure that these children were remembered, and that we as a community would wake up to recognize the horrors and atrocities taking place on our streets, and that we would be inspired to act.

On June 26th, immediately following the "Restoring our Community" March, we held a community meeting in Tabernacle Bible Church. At that meeting, we asked the members of the community, to reach into their pockets and provide the $3,000 needed to purchase and place these headstones. Several people offered cash right on the spot and many more offered pledges until we'd finally reached the desired amount.

And now, the pledges have all been received, the bills have been payed in full, and it is my honor and pleasure to report to you that as of this morning, the headstones have been placed on the graves... The Forgotten Four are forgotten no more...

Ms. Reed went on to host a play that she wrote and produced about the tragedy that befell these children at St. Mark United Methodist Church. The play was well attended and Ms. Reed inspired us all, not only with her tenacity in keeping their memory alive, but also in her willingness to come forward with her personal testimony about violence and loss, and her heartfelt call to the community to make a change. Additional monies were raised that evening and in keeping with the vision of Ms. Reed, those monies will be used to establish a community trust fund for the families of the victims of violence, to ensure that no more families have to endure the tragedy of loss compounded by an inability to pay for proper services.

God id good...

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The Wichita NAACP to host a "Know Your Rights" summit - Saturday October 16th

Join us for an educational summit to help you understand your rights pertaining to: Employment, Legislation, Religion, Crime, Gangs, Education, Prison Reform, Taxes and the Economy, Laws and Youth Empowerment

When: Saturday October 16, 2010, 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM
Where: McAdams Recreation Center, 1329 E. 16th St

Participants will include: State Legislators, District Representatives, WSU Economics Representative, Church Leaders, Legal Services Representatives, Gang/Drugs-Intervention-Prevention Representative, Young Ladies At Risk Counselor, Prison Reform Advocate, Department of Corrections Representative, Youth Groups, Wichita Crime Commission Representative, Educators, Judges, Law Enforcement Officers, Urban League, and Wichita Work Release Staff, and more...

Light refreshments and lunch provided

For more information contact:
Dr. Charles Coleman/NAACP Legal Redress Chair @ 390-0181
Mary Dean/NAACP Legal Redress Investigator @ 371-2253
BJ Mosley/NAACP Prison Reform Investigator @ 409-0513
Kevin Myles/NAACP President @ 219-6996

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Your input is needed - Wichita Public Rec Center Meetings Start Today!

Tonight is the kickoff of several open meetings which will help to determine which programs and services will be maintained in Wichita's public recreation facilities.

The Department of Park and Recreation is seeking feedback and public comment regarding future services in light of a one million dollar reduction to its recreation center budget.

All are encouraged to attend the meetings, which are listed below. The meetings will be held from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. today, Tuesday and Oct. 14. Childcare will be provided.

The meetings will provide background information on each recreation facility and roundtable discussions about which recreation center services should be offered. Topics will include classes, building usage, fees, facility hours and new services. Organizers include officials from Wichita State University’s Hugo Wall School of Urban and Public Affairs.

 The scheduled meetings follow:

Thursday, Oct. 7 - 6:30-8:30 p.m.
McAdams Recreation Center
1329 E. 17th

Osage Recreation Center
2121 W. 31st South

Linwood Recreation Center
1901 S. Kansas


Monday, Oct. 11 - 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Atwater/Lynette Woodard Neighborhood City Hall
2755 E. 19th North

Aley/Stanley Recreation Center
1749 S. Martinson

Colvin Recreation Center
2820 S. Roosevelt

Evergreen Recreation Center
2700 N. Woodland


Thursday, Oct. 14 - 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Edgemoor Recreation Center
5815 E. 9th

Boston Recreation Center
6655 E. Zimmerly

Orchard Recreation Center
4808 W. 9th

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